Whenever Monarch was defeated, we thought that everything would go back to how it was before. We thought we could express ourselves freely. We could feel what we wanted to feel. And we were able to. Just not for long. Lila Rossi as we know her, but...
I grab Angels arms as she thrashes around her bed, holding her still and shaking her shoulder gently, attempting to wake her up. "Angel," I say softly, my voice calm yet firm, "You have to wake up, it is just a nightmare."
She stirs, eyelids fluttering open, confusion clouding her expression for a moment before recognition sets in. "Dami?" Her voice is barely a whisper, filled with sleep and lingering fear from the nightmare that had invaded her rest. I can see the remnants of tears glistening on her cheeks in the dim light filtering through the curtains.
She throws her arms around me in a hug, I don't an inch. She was crying, I could feel her tears soaking through my shirt. "You're alive! He killed you but you're alive!"
What? How did she know about me dying?
"What are you talking about Malak?" I push her slightly off me to get a better look at her face.
"Deathstroke, he killed you. He-he killed you. I saw it." She stares up at me, her eyes filled with tears. I grab her face and wipe at her cheeks, clearing some of the wet marks off.
I move to sit down beside her on the bed, my presence a steady anchor in the darkness. "You had another bad dream," I state, more as an observation than a question. she nods, her breath shaky as she tries to steady herself.
"Yeah," she admits, her voice trembling slightly. "But it was so real."
I reach out, pulling her gently into my arms, allowing her to bury her face against my chest again, as she clings to me, seeking solace from the lingering terrors that haunt her mind. I hold her close, my arms wrapping protectively around her, offering comfort and reassurance in the darkness.
"What was it about?" I ask quietly, knowing that sometimes sharing the details of the nightmare can help alleviate its hold on the mind.
She hesitates for a moment before speaking, her voice barely audible against the fabric of my shirt. "It was... it was about him at first," she murmurs, the words catching in her throat as she struggles to voice the memories that still linger in the recesses of her mind.
I tighten my grip around her, a surge of anger and protectiveness rising within me at the mere mention of whoever had caused her such distress. "Tell me," I urge gently, my voice a soft yet insistent demand.
"I was in the cell, but before that I-I had blood all over my hands. I killed so many people. I murdered them." Marinette whispers, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "Then I was in Lex Luthor's office, and I had a knife to his throat, and I threatened him, and-and I nicked him."
She starts crying again, and I wait a moment for her to calm down before asking her to continue with the rest of her story.
"Th-then I was in the Batcave, all of you guys were there. A lot of villains were there too. You all died. Tim was first, then Babs, Bruce and Selina, Duke, Cass, and Steph, then Jason and Dick. The last one was you." She pushes herself off my chest and looks at the wall in front of her.
"You're safe now," I murmur, pulling her back into me, I press a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "I won't let anyone hurt you, Malak. I promise."
Her grip tightens around me, her tears staining the fabric of my shirt as she clings to me, seeking solace and security in my embrace. And I hold her, offering her the warmth and comfort she so desperately craves, silently vowing to protect her from whatever nightmares may come her way.
As the moments stretch into eternity, the tension slowly begins to ebb away, replaced by a sense of peace and tranquility as Marinette finally begins to relax in my arms. And I hold her close, knowing that for tonight at least, she is safe with me.
Eventually, her breathing steadies, her tears drying on her cheeks as she finally begins to drift off to sleep once more, her grip on me loosening slightly as she succumbs to the embrace of slumber.
I watch over her for a while longer, my gaze lingering on her peaceful face as she sleeps, the faintest hint of a smile gracing her lips. And in that moment, I know that no matter what nightmares may come her way, I will always be there to chase them away, to hold her close and keep her safe.
She is the one for me. I know she is. It was never like this when I dated Raven.
For Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the girl who stole my heart, there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep her safe from harm. And as she sleeps peacefully in my arms, I silently vow to protect her with every fiber of my being, no matter what dangers may lurk in the shadows.
